Resistant Bed Bugs. Superbugs?

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Bed bugs are hard to kill, even if you know what you are doing. One reason they are so hard to eliminate is that bed bugs can be resistant to pesticides. Over time, some chemicals can lose their efficacy completely.

Bed bugs are known to achieve resistance to many commonly used pesticides in a very short time. This is due to their short life cycle. Not all the bugs are killed with one chemical treatment, it may take several treatments. The bugs that survive the initial spray may produce offspring who are resistant to the chemical used. This evolution begins with the first chemical application. The longer an infestation continues, the higher the bed bug population will become and the harder it is to treat.

There are some chemical strategies that professional exterminators use that can be effective, eventually. There are many different pesticides available that can be used for bed bugs in the home, on the bed, walls, floor, ceiling.

Do you really want pesticide sprayed on your bed, even if its label says you can do it?   

Treating bed bugs yourself is not a good idea unless you have extensive knowledge of the bugs and chemicals. The best you can hope for with a DIY bed bug treatment is a partial kill, or a slight reduction in population. DIY bed bug treatments commonly cause resistant bed bugs to develop. It will save you time, money, headache, and sleepless nights, by calling a professional

Chemical Treatment is not your only option, and is certainly NOT the BEST option to treat bed bugs. A heat treatment, or thermal treatment, is the most effective and efficient way to kill all bed bugs and eggs. This treatment consists of heating the room, unit, or entire structure to a high temperature and holding that temperature until all bed bugs and eggs are dead.

If you live in Maricopa or Pinal County, AZ – call Arizona Heat Pest Services (602) 903-3375

WARNING: Do not attempt to heat your home to kill pests including bed bugs. This is not a DIY activity. Improper heating techniques can lead to fire, explosion, and death.   

Chemical Treatment VS. Heat Treatment for Bed Bugs

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If bed bugs are found they must be treated ASAP, one way or another.

Bed bug infestations are spreading more rapidly than ever during these tough economic times. If a bed bug infestation is not treated quickly, these bugs will spread. 

Every company has a different method to eradicate these bugs. Most treatments fall into one of two categories: Chemical Treatment or Heat Treatment. The majority of companies offer no guarantee with their bed bug services (we offer a long term bed bug warranty with treatment). Treatments for bed bugs can be quite costly and can take several weeks to accomplish, depending on the method used and the company providing the service. Some companies claim that only one treatment is needed. (like us)

Chemical Treatment: The cheap way.

The chemical treatment consists of using pesticides to kill the bed bugs, applying the pesticide where the bugs hide and travel. There are thousands of pesticides, only some of which can be used in the home to kill bed bugs. Every pesticide has a label which explains where and how to apply the pesticide. Using a pesticide in a manner inconsistent with the label is a violation of the law.

The areas that exterminators will spray for bed bugs include:

  • Beds
  • Floors
  • Walls
  • Ceilings
  • Furniture
  • Electronics

Chemical Treatments must always be repeated two or three times because these bugs are resilient against pesticides. Bed bugs are known become resistant to pesticides very quickly, becoming even harder to eradicate.

A chemical treatment can eventually be effective and is the lower cost option. The cost you pay – chemical exposure to you and your family. I have heard many stories of pets getting sick (vomiting for days) from exterminators who came and “poured some stuff under my carpet” to kill the bedbugs.

Always follow all label instructions when using a chemical. Make sure your pest professional is using their chemicals according to the label. You have the right to request this label – the pest professional is required to carry all labels and MSDS for all pesticides they use (AZ). They should be willing and able to provide this information to you immediately.

Improper use of pesticides can lead to illness and death.

Heat Treatment: The Best Way

The Heat Treatment consists of using high temperatures to kill bed bugs. Heat is proven to be effective at killing bed bugs at all stages of life including eggs. The heat can be applied on a small scale such as a hair dryer or clothes dryer, or on a large scale such as heating the entire structure/unit.

Not all heat treatments are equal. The best way to heat treat is by getting the heat to ALL the bugs and eggs at once, getting them hot enough for long enough.

The Benefits of An Effective Heat Treatment:

  • Minimal, or NO exposure to chemicals
  • Keep your mattress and furniture
  • Only one treatment is needed

WARNING: Using heat to kill bed bugs can be dangerous if you are not a trained professional. Improper heating methods can lead to fire and death. Please do not attempt this yourself. 

Where Do Bed Bugs Hide?

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Where are the bed bugs hiding?

Bed Bugs are nocturnal by nature and stay out of sight during the day (unless you’re sleeping). They are hiding all day long and can be very difficult to find even in a severely infested room/ home. These bugs are so thin that they can fit into very small spaces, like between joints of furniture. If you have a bed bug infestation they will hide in the following areas:

  • mattress seams
  • box springs
  • bedding
  • head boards
  • furniture
  • behind baseboards
  • under carpet
  • under tack strip
  • walls
  • ceiling
  • electronics
  • picture frames
  • clothing
  • shoes
  • luggage
  • under clutter

If the infestation is severe, you may see bugs during the day. There is almost no place in the home that bed bugs can not go. This is one reason why it is so difficult to get rid of these vile vampires, and why it is nearly impossible to do it yourself. Please call the professionals, it will save you time, money, and sleepless nights.

If you try treating the bed bugs yourself, then the bed bugs can be spread to areas where they are not normally found such as kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, linen closets, attics, wall voids, and within the framing of the house.

The more clutter there is in the home, the more places the bugs have to hide. Bed bugs may be impossible to treat in a “hoarding” situation – no matter what method is used. Cleanup of clutter is always recommended in order limit their hiding places and to perform an effective treatment. If the clutter is not removed, then it can be impossible to treat the home properly (and legally). We must follow all directions provided on pesticide labels, otherwise we are breaking the law. We cannot spray pesticides on clothing, bed linens, kids toys, pet toys, or in food or feed areas.

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Bed Bugs In Multifamily Homes. Bed Bugs and The Lease

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Multi-Family Housing, Bed Bugs and the Lease

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to eradicate in any structure. When bed bugs infest multifamily homes such as apartments, condos, duplexes, hotels, motels and dorms it is the worst situation. Bed bugs can spread from unit to unit through the shared walls, floors, and ceilings. Treating the infested unit improperly could cause the bugs to spread to adjacent units. In most cases, the infested unit must have a bed bug treatment along with adjacent units.

Bed bugs do not discriminate. They don’t care if you’re rich or poor, clean or dirty, educated or not. They will infest any structure that has a human presence. The nicest five star hotel, or the zero star motel. They occur just as frequently in both situations.

It is quite common to find severe bed bug infestations in multifamily homes due to the high overturn of occupants. Different families will often cycle through multifamily homes, leasing for a period and then moving. Another family will move in after that and so on. And with hotels, the overturn is even greater. These situations create more opportunity for bed bugs to be introduced, it also gives them an opportunity to spread to adjacent units.

Does your lease mention bed bugs?

It is very difficult to determine exactly where the bed bugs came from. It is also then difficult to determine who is at fault for the bed bug infestation, the owner or the tenant. Was the unit infested before the current tenant signed the lease? Did the tenant bring the bed bugs with them when they moved in? Are the bed bugs coming from another unit through the wall voids? The situation will vary case by case. The landlord is always responsible to provide a “safe and habitable environment”. The tenant is responsible, (in AZ), to not knowingly bring bed bugs into the structure. Often times there are pest control terms in the lease that determine who will be responsible for any pest infestations, including bug bugs. Professional help is always needed to get rid of bed bugs.

If you’re a renter in Arizona check this link out. Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act 2012 

How Do You Get Bed Bugs?

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How you get bed bugs.

As you are traveling this holiday season please be vigilant of stowaway vampires, bed bugs. They can be hiding anywhere, but are most commonly found in apartments, dorm rooms, hotels, and rental homes. These creatures are the ultimate hitchhikers and can fit into the smallest hiding places out of sight. During the day, these creatures hide so well they can be almost impossible to detect. You can pick up these hitchhikers while visiting friends and family – or they can be delivered to your home via your friends and family. They do not fly or jump, however they are very quick, skillful climbers. They can climb onto/into clothing, purses, or suitcases. They will crawl onto your clothing, even during the day, if you sit for more than a few minutes. Buying used furniture or other items can also introduce bedbugs into the home. These are the most common ways to get a bed bug infestation.

Nest Pest

Infestations can also occur if you have an infestation of bats or birds in your attic or wall. These bugs also feed on bats and birds, while living in their nests. When the population of these bugs increase, they will look for food elsewhere – like your nest (your bed). Once an infestation is established it is very difficult to eliminate.

What do bed bugs look like?

Bedbugs are oval shaped, brown or reddish brown, and slightly smaller than an apple seed as adults. They are about 4mm in length at their largest, but will be much smaller as juveniles. The juvenile bed bugs can be nearly invisible, they can be the size of a pin head just after hatching. The juveniles are nearly translucent unless they are full of bright red blood. At any life stage, the bed bug’s bodies are very flat and paper thin. Once they have fed, they become a darker brown/red, they become elongated and engorged.